THE BREE STREET MURAL

WALLS LIKE FABRIC FOR MY FIRST MURAL.

Portrait taken on Pentax Espio

A few months ago, I had a message exchange that went roughly like this:

‘Hey Dee Dee, do you paint?’

‘No, but I’d like to’

‘Want to paint a mural?’

‘Definitely’

The messages after this were mostly ‘I’m so nervous' and ‘what was I thinking?’ But with some reassurance from Shani Judes and amazing guidance from graffiti and girl extraordinaire, Motel7, I made it!

I pulled some peculiar moves from the scaffolding and treated the wall like fabric. I transferred my drawing (2x2.3m) onto the wall with what felt like a squillion pieces of carbon paper attached to my large printouts. The strategy seemed foolproof as long as it didn’t rain. Murphy did his law thing while Cape Town did her four-seasons-in-a-day thing, delivering a patch of winter. Fortunately, I managed to get the design transferred on the wall just in time before the adventure drizz dissolved my massive carbon paper poster.

Tools of the trade for the carbon paper poster technique (I do not recommend)

Motel7 and Shani Judes being the best

Multiple days of painting were accompanied by some of the most amazing conversations with strangers, a day spent on the scaffolding with Motel7, friends arriving with mochi and beer. Even the obligatory altercation with a revving motorbike didn't sway me. It was all a solid reminder of how wonderful our city is.

The Mission for Inner City Cape Town commissioned 12 artists to partake in the Bree Street Gallery, most of whom work in mediums other than street art. The artists, including Kirstin Sims, Yay Abe, Kooooos and Amy-Lee, joined the initiative to take art out of the white wall space and make it for everyone. With literally no boundary walls, I saw the project's intention play out. I had the pleasure of watching people from all walks of life stop and discuss the work.

The painting is based off my embroidery for Crewel Intentions. The original piece What's a Girl To Do? has found a home, but prints are available in print through the Bloom and Bliss project.

I won’t call myself a street artist anytime soon, but I will say that I loved it! If I ever get asked to do a mural again, the answer is a resounding yespleaseandwhen!

Pop by the Bree Street Gallery on Heritage Square and indulge in some outside art. And if, just per chance, a bike brapps past unnecessarily loud, telling him I say hi with just one finger.